Tie strapping device



sept. 13, 1960 Filed July 3, 1956 A. DRR 2,952,203

T11: STRAPPING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTOR.' Ahdrmxs Drr Sept. 13, 1960 A. DRR

TIE STRAPPING DEvCE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 3, 195e FIGA.

Sept. 13, 1960 A. DRR 2,952,203

TIE'. STRAPPING DEVICE Filed July 5, 19,56 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 58 C 59 34 540 .Il D 35 O 8 9a. y 7

l 14g` 43 la NVENTOR.' I Andreas Drr BYnJJM Sept. 13, 1960 A. DRR 2,952,203

TIE STRAPPING DEVICE Filed-July 3, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 1N VEN lI'OR.'

AHCYEILS Dvv A. DRR TIE STRAPPING DEVICE:-

slept. 13, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 `INVENTOR Andre n.5 DHH* 'Filed July 3, 1956 United States Patent O TIE STRAPPING DEVICE Andreas Drr, 16 Algastrasse, Besigheim, Germany Filed July 3, 1956, Ser. No. 595,711

Claims priority, application Germany July 6, 1955 11 Claims. (Cl. 100-8) This invention relates to a device for compressing and strapping railroad ties, of the type comprising an open link chain surrounding the clamping strapl and the tie.

lt is an object of the invention to provide a device of this kind which is very easy to operate, with minimum expenditure of -time and labour, 'and which facilitates interlocking of the strap ends.

A special object of the invention is to provide a device which can be operated in l`a very eicient manner.

With these and further objects in View the device according to the present invention comprises a link chain, adapted to embrace the tie and the steel strap, means for suspend-ing the chain at its ends, in such a way that the chain lforms a U whose side legs extend above the upper surface of the tie, and horizontal-ly movable pressure means adapted :to tension the chain by forcing a` portion of at 'least one `oi: the legs of the U extending above the upper surface of the tie inwardly toward the other leg of the U-shaped chain. Preferably one or more hydraulic pressure cylindersV are provided, having each a piston rod acting upon the upper portions of the U legs of the chain, for tightening the same.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and appear in the #appended claims forming part of the application.

In the accompanying drawings several preferred em- Ibodiments of the invention `are shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a device according `to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a side view similar to Fig. l, but with the link chain in a tightened condition,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section Yon line IV--IV of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a :side view of the link chain,

Fig. 6 is a plan view thereof,

Fig. 7 is a perspective View showing an larrangement for handling the device according to Figs. 1 6,

Fig. 8 is -aside view, partly in section, of an improved form of the device,

Fig. 9` is a side view similar to Fig. 8, but showing the device in `another phase of its operation.

Refer-ring now to the drawings in greaterk detail, and fir-st to Figs. fl-6, it will be Aseen that the railroad tie 1 of wood having longitudinal cracks 2 is fitted with a steel strap or band 3 serving for strapping the tie. A link chain 4 in the form of :a roller `chain i's put around the tie and the strap 3 in such a way that the chain engages the strap 3.

My novel device according to Fig. l comprises a pair.

of relatively spaced transverse rails or bars 5 and 6 having a smooth lower surface adapted to be putr on the tie, pins 7 land 8 engageable in bores at one end of these transverse bars, and a hydraulic pressure cylinder 9 arranged `at the opposite end of the bars Iand having a piston rod 10 adapted` to |act upon the length of `the chain below the left-hand end thereof, for tightening same. In the embodiment as illustrated, .the two pins 7 and 8 are interconnected by a handle 11 and the length of the lower pin 7 exceeds that of the upper pin 8 at least by the width of the chain. The two guide pins are slidable in the direction A in `guide 'sleeves 12 and |13 secured to the two bars 5 `and 6 for receiving the pins.

Provided on the inner sides of the bars 5 and 6 is a longitudinal guide, or guide grooves, 14 4for a slide '15. One end 4a of the chain 4 is secured to the left-hand end of the bars 5 and `6 above said guide 14 and the slide 15 is adapted .to be moved bythe .piston rod 10 bearing on la pressing roller 16 which is urged against the chain in the direction B, for tightening the same. The bars `or rails 5 and 6 are formed with upper projections 17 at their left-hand end, and iixedly interconnected by a screw bolt 18 and a pair of screw bolts 19 and 20 engaging between them the end of the chain 4. In view of the considerable tension `forces exerted by the chain, the bolt 20 carrying the bulk of the load according to Fig. 4 has a correspondingly larger cross section.

The hydraulic cylinder 9 is detachably connected to the rails 5 and 6 by means of vertical guides 21 of T-shaped cross section engaged in complementary guide grooves provided on `the forward end or head of the cylinder 22.

The hydraulic cylinder 9 is 'formed with a handle 23 to -facilitate its operation and handling, and with a control slide valve 26 adapted to be operated by :a control handle 25 for selectively exerting pressure in a known manner.

The device operates as ifollows:

At first the two rails` 5 and 6 are put on the tie 1 as per Fig. l, after the same has been provided with the tie strap 3. The chain 4 is placed around the strap 3 and fthe tie 1, and the end 4b of the chain is inserted between the rails 5 and 6, while the bolts 7 and 8 are retracted. Then the pins 7 and 8 `are advanced into the position shown in Fig. 2, to such an extent that only the lower pin 7 projects into the space between the rails. The end 4b of the chain is now put over the pin 7, as per Fig. 1, and the pins 7 and 8 are then completely engaged with the aid of the handle 411, so .that the chain end 4b is now tightly anchored between the pins 7 and 8. Now the hydraulic cylinder -is seized by its handle 23 and engaged with the :guide strips 21 of the rails: by means of the complementary grooves in the cylinder bead 22, until the head 2,2 rests on the stop pin 24.

The hydraulic piston in the cylinder 9 is now put under pressure by operating the control lever 25 of the control slide valve 26, in such a way that the piston rod 10 is forced against the chain inthe direction B, Figs. 1 and 3, for tightening the chain about the strap and lthe tie 1. yIn this manner the strap 3 is pulled around the tie 1 and the tie issimultaneously strongly compressed so that :the longitudinal cracks 2 are reduced to minimum width or practically caused to disappear.

The ends 27 of the straps are then connected with each other, for instance by interengaging noses and slots .as indicated in Figs. l, 3 and 7. Now (the piston rod -10 is returned to its initial position by "operationv of the control lever 25 so that the chain 4 is relaxed and the device `can be removed from the tie. v

It will Ibe understoodthat my novel device operates in such a manner that both ends 4a and 4b of the chain are fixed and the .tightening of the chain takes place -bymeans of the pressure 4rollei 16 .forming a loop 4c as per Fig. 3. In this manner, the tightening member, i.`e. the piston rod 10 has to traverse only `one halfV of the distance to be traversed with the known tiglitteningv devices operating directly on one of the ends of the chain. Thus, not only the tighteningoperation itself takes lessv time but alsoV In fact, a double force has to be eXerted, but this is easy to accomplish with a hydraulic cylinder and piston arrangement.

Since the rails 5, 6 areV slidable on the tie or on the tie strap respectively, the device is able to move with respect to the tie in such a way that practically both ends of the chain are tightened, while the central part of the chain indicated at 4.remains substantially in its position. Thus, the chain need not be pulled around the complete periphery of the tie, lbut it is pulled upwards in both directions from its center part, the maximum relative displacement between the tie and the chain and in fact between the tie and the tie strap thus being only one half of that normally occurring.

As best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the link chain preferably is formed, at least in its middle part surrounding the tie, with unilateral elevations 23 while the normal links of the chain are denoted 29. In this manner only the links `with the unilateral elevations 2S engage the tie or the tie strap 3, respectively, the total width b of the chain as per Fig, 6 corresponding approximately to the width of the tie strap 3. This offers the advantage that even with very intensive tightening of the chain, its links will not engage the wooden tie, not even at the edges thereof, so that damages thereto are avoided.

In order to render possible a quick and easy handling of the strapping device hereinbefore described, the same may be suspended from a hoisting device permitting both lifting and lowering of the entire strapping device and also its shifting in a horizontal direction. To this end a stationary rail 30, Fig. 7, is provided parallel to and above the tie, on which rail a carriage 32 is adapted to be moved by rollers 31 in a longitudinal direction of the rail. Suspended from this carriage is a depending tube 33 in which a toothed rack is slidably but non-rotatably mounted. The transverse rails or bars 5, 6, are secured to the lower end of the toothed rack 34 by means of an angular lug 35. The tube 33 moreover carries a casing 36 in which a pinion 37 is mounted for rotation, said pinion engaging in the toothed rack 34 and being rotatable by a crank 38. Fig. 7 shows the position of rest of the strapping device suspended from the rod 34, in which position it is held by means of a locking bar 39 provided on the crank 38 and engaging in a stationary part in the direction C under spring action. In its raised position upon release of the locking bar 39 by means of a handle 40 the crank 38 can be rotated for lowering the strapping device with the rails 5 and 6 onto the tie 1, whereat the strapping device is simultaneously shifted by means of the carriage 32 so as to get to its proper position above the ends 27 of the strap. Then the link chain 4 is placed around the strap 3 and the tie 1 and the ends of the chain are secured by means of the bolts 7 and 8.

In order to` further simplify and accelerate the tensioning operation, a control device 41 for the hydraulic pressure cylinder 9a is provided on the door, for operation by a foot lever 42. The pipes leading from the control device to the supply of the hydraulic fluid are indicated at 43 and the connecting pipes between the control device and the cylinder are shown at 44.

On completion of the strapping operation the device 5, 6, 9a is lifted from the tie by means of the crank 38, so that the tie is exposed and can be removed.

Advantageously, and as shown in Fig. 7, a pair of endless conveyer chains 45 are provided parallel to the transverse rails 5, 6 of the strapping device so as to convey the tie 1 under the suspended strapping device. Only one of these chains is shown in Fig. 7. Similarly, the strapping and suspending devices shown in Fig. 7 are preferably provided in duplicate at both ends of the tie, in order that the strapping can be effected at both ends simultaneously. Moreover, a plurality of strapping devices 5, 6, 9a may be arranged in the conveying direction D, so that several ties 1 maybe supported on the conveyer chains 45 and strapped simultaneously.

A machine operating on the principle according to the invention is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In this case, a pair of hydraulic cylinders 9b, 9b' and appertaining pistons 46, piston rods 10, and pressure rollers 16 are mounted in a common strong U-shaped 4frame 47 having eyelets 48 for suspension of the two ends ofthe chain 4" by means of suitable locking pins. The tie ll is conveyed into its place shown in Fig. 8 by means of conveyer chains 45 arranged in a laterally displaced position with respect to the strapping device, similar to Fig. 7, and fitted with the straight straps 3 which are placed on the upper ends of the end legs of lthe U-frame 47 as shown. In the position of rest of the U-frame 47, which is vertically movable as will be hereinafter described in greater detail, the U-frame is in a slightly lower position than that shown in Fig. 8, so as to provide the necessary margin for insertion of the straps or bandages 3.

The lower or central leg of the U-frame is formed with a cylindrical portion 61 having recesses for insertion, with a tight t, of a cylindrical sleeve 49 secured in the portion 61 by means of an extension 50 projecting through a bore 51 of portion 61 and threadably engaged with a nut 52. A stationary piston 53 mounted on a base 60 is slidably arranged in the cylinder 49 by means of collars 53', 53 and formed with a central bore 54 for passage of a hydraulic Huid through a duct 55 connected to a source of hydraulic pressure through a pedal-operated control valve 56. Further hydraulic ducts 57 and 58 serve to connect the cylindrical spaces on both sides of the pistons 46 with the source-of hydraulic pressure and with the lower part of the cylinder 49, respectively.

The device operates as follows:

At irst the pedal lever S9 is set to the position for admitting pressure fluid into the cylinder 49, whereby the same is raised to the position shown in Fig. 9, while the tie 1, either by its own weight or by additional abutments, not shown, is held in its level shown in Fig. 8, so that the strap 3 is bent around the tie, U-fashion. The vertical part of pipe 57 preferably consists of a iiexible tube forming a loop 57 `so as to allow for the vertical movement of the hydraulic device.

As soon as the horizontal part of pipe 58 has reached the position shown in Fig. 9, the pressure liuid will pass through the same into the cylinder spaces on the outer side of the pistons 46 and thereby move the same inwardly, whereby the chain 4 is tightened by action of the rollers 16'. As soon as the pistons 46 have reached their inner end position, the projections and recesses of the ends 27 of the stra-p are properly interlocked. It will be understood that it is an important advantage of my novel device that the pressing bars or piston rods 10 owing to the inward pressing of the chain in the form of a loop are advanced by a relatively small distance only, so that most of the Width of the tie is exposed for the interlocking operation. After the interlocking, the pedal level 59 is turned over, in such a way that the hydraulic pressure fluid is admitted into the cylinder space on the inner side of the pistons 46, while the pressure uid on the outer side thereof is permitted to flow back through pipes 58 and 55, whereby the rollers 16 are retracted and the U-frame 47 is then allowed to sink down into its initial position, exposing the tie 1 for removal thereof and feeding of a new tie 1 by the chains 45. Now the said cycle of operations may be repeated.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spit-it and scope of the invention and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modications in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A device for compressing and strapping wooden railroad ties with a steel strap comprising a U-shaped frame, a link chain adapted to embrace the tie and the steel strap, means for securing the ends of the chain to the upper ends of the side legs of the U-frame, in such a way that the chain forms a U, a pair of horizontal hydraulic cylinders mounted on the outer sides of U-frame and including each apiston and a pressing rod adapted to tension the chain by forcing inwardly the upper lengths of the U formed by the chain, a vertical hydraulic cylinder and piston arrangement adapted to raise the U-frame, and means for controlling the admission of the pressure fluid to, and its discharge from, the horizontal and vertical hydraulic cylinders in such a way that the operations of raising the `U-frame to such a level that the side legs of the U-'chain project above the tie, tensioning the chain by the pressing rods, withdrawing the pressing rods, and lowering the U-frame to its initial position in which the upper ends of the U-frame are at a level below the tie, succeed each other in this order.

2. A device for compressing and strapping wooden railroad ties with a steel strap comprising a. U-shaped frame, a link chain adapted to embrace the tie and the steel strap, means for securing the ends of the chain to the upper ends of the side legs of the U-frame, 1n such a way that the chain forms a U, a pair of horizontal hydraulic cylinders mounted on the outer sides of the outer legs of the U-frame and including each a plston'anda pressing rod adapted to tension the chain by forcing inwardly the upper lengths of the U formed by the chain, a vertical hydraulic cylinder which supports the U-frame, a stationary piston relatively slidable in said cylinder and having projecting annular collars defining annular spaces between the piston and the cylinder, a control valve including iirst ducts for connecting the control valve to the feed and return connections of a source of hydraulic fluid, second ducts connecting the cylinder spaces on the inner sides of the horizontal pistons with a control valve, third ducts for supplying pressure uid from the control valve into the vertical cylinder through a longitudinal bore in said vertical piston, and a fourth duct connecting the lower annular space between the vertical cylinder and its piston with the cylinder spaces on the outer sides of the horizontal pistons, in such a way that the pressure iluid when admitted to the vertical cylinder will first fraise said cylinder with the U-frame, then ilow through the fourth duct to the outer chambers of the horizontal cylinder, for forcing the horizontal pistons and pressing rods inwards and tensioning the chain and the strap, said control valve being adapted to change over the connections in such a way that the pressure fluid is then admitted through the second ducts into the inner chambers of the horizontal cylinders and discharged iirst from the outer chambers thereof and then from the vertical cylinder, for lowering the U-frame to its initial position and exposing the strapped tie.

3. A device for compressing and strapping wooden railroad ties with a steel strap comprising, in combination, support means; a link chain adapted to embrace the tie and the steel strap and being attached at opposite ends thereof to said support means at fixed points spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of the railroad tie so that the chain is suspended -in form of a U-shaped loop from said support means and so that the legs of the U-shaped loopextend above the upper surface of a tie placed in the loop; and horizontally movable pressure means connected to said support means and engaging at least one leg of the U-shaped chain loop between the attached end thereof and the upper surface of a railroad tie placed in said loop for pressing the engaged chain portion of said leg in a direction substantially normal to said one leg toward the other leg of the loop.

4. A device for compressing and strapping wooden railroad ties with a steel strap comprising, in combination, support means; a link chain adapted to embrace the tie and the steel strap and being attached at opposite ends thereof to said support means at fixed points spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of the railroad tie so that the chain is suspended in form of a U-shaped loop from said support means and so that the legs of the U-shaped loop extend above the upper surface of a tie placed in the loop; and horizontally movable pressure means connected to said support means and including a pressure roller engaging at least one leg of the U-shaped chain loop between the attached end thereof and the upper surface of a railroad tie placed in said loop for pressing the engaged chain portion of said leg in a direction substantially normal to said one leg toward the other leg of the loop.

5. A device for compressing and strapping wooden railroad ties with a steel strap comprising, in combination, support means; a link chain adapted to embrace the tie and the steel strap and being attached at opposite ends thereof yto said support means at fixed points spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of the railroad tie so that the chain is suspended in form of a U-shaped loop from said support means and so that the legs of the U-shaped loop extend above the upper surface of a tie placed in the loop, said chain having chain links with unilateral elevations in the region where it embraces the tie, said elevations having a width corresponding substantially to the width of the strap; and horizontally movable pressure means connected to said support means and engaging at least one leg of the U-shaped chain loop between the attached end thereof and the upper surface of a railroad tie placed in said loop for pressing the engaged chain portion of said leg in a direction substantially normal to said one leg toward the other leg of the loop.

6. A device for compressing and strapping wooden railroad ties with a steel strap comprising, in combination, support means; a link chain `adapted to embrace the tie and the steel strap and being attached at opposite ends thereof to said support means at fixed points spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of the railroad tie so that the chain is suspended in form o-f a U-shaped loop from said support means and so that the legs of the U-shaped loop extend above the upper surface of a tie placed in the loop; and a pair of horizontally movable pressure means connected to said support means and engaging, respectively, the legs of the U-shaped chain loop between the attached ends thereof `and the upper surface of a railroad tie placed in said loop for pressing the engaged chain portions in opposite directions and substantially normal to the legs of the loop toward each other.

7. A device for compressing and strapping wooden railroad ties with a steel strap comprising, in combination, a U-shaped frame; a link chain adapted to embrace the tie and the steel strap and being attached at opposite ends thereof to the upper ends of said U-shaped frame at xed points spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of the railroad tie so that the chain is suspended in form of a U-shaped loop from said U-shaped frame and so that the legs of the U-shaped loop extend above the upper surface of a tie placed in the loop; and a pair fof horizontally movable pressure means connected to said U-shaped frame and engaging, respectively, the legs of the U-shaped chain loop between the attached ends thereof and the upper surface of a railroad tie placed in said loop for pressing the engaged chain portions in opposite directions' and substantially normal to the legs of the loop toward each other.

8. A device as per claim 3, further comprising a hoisting device including means for hoisting and lowering the entire device and for shifting it in a horizontal direction.

9. A device xas per claim 3, further comprising Ia hoisting device including a stationary rail arranged above the tie, a carriage suspended from the rail, a vertical tube secured to the carriage, a toothed rack slidable in the tube `and secured to the strapping device, a casing on said tube, a pinion meshing with the toothed rack and rotatably mounted in the casing, and a crank for operating said pinion.

10. A device las dened in claim 3 in which said support means includes a pair of mutually spaced transverse bars adapted to be put on a railroad tie and means on said bars for iixedly securing the ends of the chain to stationery points above the tie and spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the widths of the railroad tie, and in which said pressure means includes hydraulic cylinder and piston means removably attached to said bars at 'one of the ends thereof and a pressure member operated by the hydraulic piston and engaging one leg of the U-shaped chain loop between the attached end thereof `and the upper surface of the railroad tie.

11. A device as dened in claim 10 in which the transverse bars have aligned bores therein and in which said means for securing said chain to said bars includes two pins slidably secured in said aligned bores of said two bars and a handle member connecting said pins for simul- 5 pins located above the other, the lower one of said pins being longer than the upper by a distance at least equal to the width of the chain so that a chain link may be placed between said bars on the lower pin and the link then locked in position by pushing both of s'aid pins 10 through the aligned bores in said two bars.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 214,256 Logue Apr. 15, 1879 227,590 Sheppard May 11, 1880 1,326,999 Wallace et al Jan. 6, 1920 1,609,953 Lee Dec. 7, 1926 2,568,294 Nichols Sept. 18, 1951 20 2,838,992 Demler June 17, 1958 FORETGN PATENTS 158,611 Australia Sept. 3, 1954 8 taneous movement, said pins being arranged spaced from each other a distance greater than the minimum height of the connected links of the chain and smaller than the maximum height of the connected links, with one of the 

